The ten virgins: Are you ready?

Jesus’ preached about the kingdom of God severally while He was on earth. His messages pointed His hearers to the nature of God’s Kingdom, the power in God’s kingdom, preparing for God’s kingdom among many others.In Matthew 24, Jesus gave different parables about the end of the age. Each of the parables indicates that His second coming will be when we don’t expect but He also gives us things to look for.  Matthew 25 follows the same theme of the coming of the Lord. Once, Jesus spoke about the signs of the end times (Matthew 24) and right afterwards, He gave the parable of the ten virgins. Parables were in many of Jesus’ sermons. The parables presented profound spiritual truth which is embedded in everyday activities. It is a simple story to provide a more profound lesson or truth. Jesus used simple stories to teach deeper truths.This post will consider the parable of the ten virgins. Our focus will be specifically on the virgins and how they were classified based on their readiness to meet the bridegroom. We need to understand that hearers of this parable did not have a problem identifying with the situation. In the days of Jesus, the bride would be accompanied by her friends as she prepares to meet her bridegroom.

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. (Matthew 25:1)

Jesus began His sermon with this opening: “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “(Matthew 25:6). Remember all the virgins had a common EXPECTATION: the virgins expected the bridegroom. The virgins make a COMMON CONGREGATION: Church members or churchgoers. All the virgins had LAMPS and OIL: symbolic of the Holy Spirit or other interpretation is the Word of God. The ten virgins had the same EMOTIONAL STATE: They all slumbered and slept (wise and foolish alike). The bridegroom DELAYED for both wise and foolish alike. Thus on the face value, the ten encountered the same experiences. The differences between the two groups were the name tags: WISE virgins and FOOLISH, and the LEVEL or AMOUNT of oil: the wise had a reserve of oil, the foolish had no reserve of oil.

Jesus doesn’t indicate what delayed the bridegroom but we know that “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.” (Matthew 25:6‭-‬7). Both wise and foolish alike woke up and trimmed their lamps but as expected, the foolish virgins were out of oil because they did not have a reserve of oil. Matthew 25:8 states that, “The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’” Unfortunately it wasn’t possible to share the oil reserve so the wise replied to the foolish, “ ‘No,’ there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’” (Matthew 25:9). So the foolish virgins knew where to get the reserve but they did not. While  the foolish virgins stepped out in the middle of the night to look for oil, the bridegroom arrived. The wise virgins were welcomed to the banquet with the bridegroom and the door was shut. Later the foolish virgins arrived and were denied entry. While the foolish stood behind the door, they said, “Lord, Lord, open the door for us!” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.” Jesus ended this sermon by saying: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” (see Matthew 25:10‭-‬13)

Now, let’s bring the deeper meaning of this story: Does the Lord know you? Have you accepted Him as your Lord and Saviour? Remember, that  salvation is not genetically transferred. We should be conscious about leading our children to make public confession of their faith in Jesus. Furthermore, Is your experience with the Lord based on the initial acceptance or a daily relationship with Him?
For example, if you buy a vehicle,  constantly you fill up your gas. Imagine refusing to fill up your gas even when the fuel indicator shows no gas. You will be stranded. No matter how powerful your vehicle is, without fuel it is a total failure. If you drive an electric vehicle, you need to keep up with charging to be able to drive all the time. So, why do most believers feel that, It is enough to be a Christian and relax. It is like having a lamp with no spare jar of oil. There is nothing in you to hold you through the uncertainties of life. Such people are likely to fall in the slightest disruption. The issues of life can test your faith and love and there will be no oil to sustain your love for God. Family issues,  pains, sickness can feed on your lamp and you will be left with nothing.  Ultimately, you lose your faith and resolve to fate.

If the Lord tarries, we will all sleep (die), wise and foolish alike. But even while we sleep,  the only connection we have with the bridegroom is the oil in our lamps and the oil in our jar. The truth is, whether awake or asleep, you need to get your own oil. Your spouse cannot share their oil with you! Let’s consider the oil as the lubricant of our faith, including everything needed to ensure that we maintain a good relationship with the Lord. It is good to know the Lord, even the devil knows Him. But does He know you? It will be unfortunate on the last day for the Lord to say to you; “Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.”

How do we grow up in our relationship with the Lord? How do we increase our oil reserve when you accept the Lord? See the points below:
Daily relationship with the God (Quiet time, Prayer & fasting,  Bible studies, reading and listening to the word of God)
Consistent Christian growth and Maturity
Growth in faith
Endurance, among many others.

You see, the foolish virgins were late in buying the oil and when they finally got the oil, the bridegroom had arrived and the door had been shut. Just ponder over these: Are you ready? Will the oil in your jar sustain you for the Christian journey?

If you have not accepted Christ, you still have an opportunity to make it right with Him. He is coming soon
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”
(Revelation 22:12‭-‬16‭, ‬20)

Our preparedness to meet the Lord, whether in person or after death is very important. While we live, we have opportunities to amend our ways but after death, there is no longer an opportunity to fix the wrong. Therefore it is important to be ready all the time.

Mary: Be it unto me according to thy word

Mary was going through her usual day when she received a visit from the angel Gabriel. The message from the angel was quite ‘huge’ for the young woman. Heaven has favoured Mary and God has appointed her for a special assignment. The assignment given to this virgin was to conceive and give birth to a son. This son is no ordinary son for “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:33‭-‬33). Mary might have been in total shock. Why will God choose her to have a son when she was still a virgin?

Mary asked the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34). I would have asked a similar question. Why will God choose me? Don’t we ask ourselves similar questions when we are called for a task we believe is greater than we can handle? Even Zachariah, Elizabeth’s husband asked a similar question when the angel told him that his wife will have a son: “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” (Luke 1:18). Unfortunately for Zachariah, he missed the past case studies of Abraham and Sarah (and many more in the OldTestament). He was a priest and was expected to know more. The angel shut him down for nine months. He became mute.

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:38 KJV)

Angel Gabriel’s reply to Mary’s question was this: “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.” (Luke 1:35‭-‬36). As young and innocent as Mary was, she did not argue with the angel. In all readiness and preparedness she said: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:38). Mary knew that this huge task will bring unto her challenges from every direction including rejection by family, possible divorce by Joseph, societal ostracization among other challenges including death. Mary did not ask the angel for time to think about it. She did not ask for a sign. She did not even ask about how the child will be catered for in case her family and Joseph reject her.

Mary was not anxious about many things. She did not ask the angel to tell God to send someone else like Moses did. She did not put God to test like Gideon. She did not even prepare a sacrifice like Manoah and his wife (Samson’s parents). Mary’s response to her assignment showed a total dependence on God. The Message Bible states Luke 1:38 this way: “And Mary said, Yes, I see it all now: I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say. Then the angel left her.” Mary was ready to serve right away. She was ready for the full package of God’s agenda. She knew that the task was huge but she also knew that for God to find her worthy of the task, God will definitely make all things possible for the completion of this task.

Maybe, you are not sure how God’s call on your life will be achieved considering your current situation. Instead of worrying about things YOU cannot change, make it a priority to prepare YOURSELF and position YOURSELF for the assignment. Don’t just be there… be proactive in adding value to yourself. Heaven will make a way for you to get to the destination, but like Mary, you must uphold your purity, and be ready to say, “I’m the Lord’s servant, ready to serve.”

Trust Him to return

There are countless promises I have made to my nephews. Anytime we speak on the phone, I promise to visit them but it has been quite some time since I last visited. I am sure they don’t trust my visitation promises anymore. There are many people who don’t keep to their words. When they tell you to look up, they will be busily minding their businesses down without consideration for your neck! You can look up until you hurt your neck but they don’t care. Others have become professional liars and every word from their mouth needs to be passed through a litmus test. They have a lie to cover every lie and have built a hedge of falsity around them. Still, some people are so sincere and trustworthy that they are committed to ensuring that every promise they make is fulfilled. If you do not have a trusted companion, you are in a big dilemma!

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.(Revelation 22:20)

A lot of people have been through so much that it is very common to hear people comment that they have trust issues. If you have experienced at first hand how it feels to be disappointed by those you trusted, you will take every word with a pinch of salt. However, we don’t stop trusting because others have failed us. Throughout this month, we have considered different biblical examples of trusting in God. Do check the previous posts. We have identified that God is trustworthy and He watches over His word to fulfill it (Jeremiah 1:12). As we consider this, I want to remind you of Parousia. Jesus is coming again and He said it on several occasions while He was on earth. He also told the Apostle John in the Revelation to the churches. He said in Revelation 22:20 that “Yes, I am coming soon” and He will return. It doesn’t matter how long it takes.

When we understand that the Parousia is going to happen, we prepare ourselves each day in anticipation. As we wait, we should get ourselves ready at all times. We should prepare spiritually, emotionally and physically. We should also be willing to share the love of God with others. How can others trust in His return if we don’t let them know? We should be driven by compassion and love for humanity. We should not be ashamed of our faith and be willing to share whenever there is an opportunity. My colleagues from other religious beliefs are identified by their appearance and dressing. They are never shy of their faith. But most of my Christian colleagues are silent about their faith because they don’t want to hurt others. I have never been hurt because others of different faiths publicly practice their faith. Why should others be hurt at lunch time because I prayed over my food? We might live in an ever changing world but that does not change who we are! Jesus is coming soon. Yes! Trust Him to return and be ready to meet your Lord.

Kingdom financial principles: Strive for excellence

Sometimes it can be overwhelming to receive information needed to start or even continue a journey with God. Beloved in Christ, through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, we have gone through a series of kingdom financial principles. As the Holy Spirit reveals these truths to us, we need to consider ways we will be able to apply these truths in handling our finances, businesses, wealth and anything that generates income. As for me, I have decided to ponder over these, seek for materials that will be helpful in managing finances and if possible, seek counsel if the need arises.

It is important for us to be ready at all times to give accounts of our financial well-being just as we are ready to give accounts about our spiritual well-being. We should make a conscious effort to keep our financial principles in line with the word of God. As Paul admonished the Philippian Christians, we should consider it important to think about those things that are excellent or praiseworthy. Throughout this series, we have been encouraged to seek excellency in managing worldly wealth. 

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8‭-‬9). 

Let us strive towards excellence in managing worldly wealth knowing that God is interested in everything and will bring to light everything we do in the flesh on the last day. 

Anyone who is among the living has hope!

Yesterday, my phone went black.  The screen got shattered  and had ink all over. I couldn’t see anything and I had two options; either to repair the broken phone (which is still on contract) or buy a new phone.  None of the options was expected and I had not budgeted for any.  However, after weighing the cost of the repair and the price of getting a simple replacement phone,  I chose the latter. I bought a  new phone but I cannot access any of the stored photos and videos.  I was sad. Then the person at the phone shop said, you can connect the old phone to a laptop and retrieve your photos and videos.  I was so relieved.  I have not tried it yet, if it doesn’t work, it will be taken as one of those things that cannot be retrieved.

Anyone who is among the living has hope—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! (Ecclesiastes 9:4)

Imagine losing a human life! Unlike a phone,  it can be repaired or you can get a new one. However, not everything is repairable. For “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews 9:27‭-‬28). The teacher says in the book of Ecclesiastes (9:4) that, “Anyone who is among the living has hope–even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!” Jesus is coming to judge both the living and the dead (2 Timothy 4:1). None has a second chance after death.  We can only make it right with the Lord while we are alive. 

Remember, none of our assets and qualifications have eternal value.  No one is buried together with houses and cars, and even if all your certificates and awards are buried with you, it will be chewed by rodents. The value of your soul cost God to send His begotten Son to die (John 3:16; Romans 6:23). The living has hope, the dead without Christ are hopeless. Make that choice now while you are alive.  Heaven is real and hell is real. Jesus is coming soon. There is no repair shop in the land of the dead to fix you back to the land of the living.  Be ready! 

Read these verses to help you understand what God has done for us. 

John 1:12; John 3: 16, Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Romans 5:8; Roman 10: 9-10.

I am coming soon

John the revelator received divine access to heaven and there the book of revelation was revealed. I once watched a debate between a Christian and an unbeliever. The unbeliever made mockery of the book of Revelation. According to that person, the things written in the book are unreasonable and cannot be true. The person further argued that John made up the story and used wild imagery to confuse the readers. I felt so sad for this unbeliever and I wondered where he will be if Christ shall return. The things written in the book of Revelation are true and will surely come to pass. Therefore, we need to be watchful and ready at all times. Jesus is coming soon!

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.(Revelation 3:11)

The Lord through John delivered a message to the church in Philadelphia. The Lord Jesus told the church that He is coming soon so the people should hold on to what they have, so that no one will take their crown. In case we think that this message was for only the Philadelphia church, we are mistaken. Indeed Jesus is coming soon and we will receive crowns of glory. We have also been warned to hold on to what we have so no one takes our crown. The implication of this is that there is a possibility of falling from grace and losing our crown of glory. Therefore, we should live consciously each day reflecting the life of Christ. No worker works and at the end of the day refuses to be paid. In the same way, we cannot accept Jesus Christ and miss out in eternal bliss.

As the Lord tarries, let us be mindful of the world and the things that easily lead to corruption. If Jesus says He is coming soon or quickly and it has been 2000 years, we should not be bothered at all. “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”(2 Peter 3:8‭-‬9). In the sight of the Lord, 2000 years is like 2 days. Therefore He is not slow and wants us to evangelize to the whole world so all come to repentance. Even if it takes 10,000 years or more, we should not be bothered because 10,000 years is just 10days in the sight of the Lord.

Parousia: Keep watch because you do not know on what day your Lord will come!

Watchmen are not employed to sleep. In fact, if the owner of the house finds the Watchman sleeping at the time the Watchman is expected to be awake and guarding the property they are assigned to, they can be fired for sleeping on post. In the same way, believers are to keep watch for the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (Parousia). This is not about staying awake all day and all night, it is about being ready at all times. Our readiness for our soon coming King is not a Sunday affair. We should be ready in the morning, at noon, in the evening, at midnight and at dawn. Each day takes us closer to the Day. Jesus states that we should keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come (Matthew 24:42).

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. (Matthew 24:42)

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.” (Matthew 24:36‭-‬41). We don’t want to be unaware and be left stranded. There is no mercy after the church is taken up from the earth.

However, we have been given the signs that indicate that we are close to the coming of the Lord. The disciples asked Jesus for the signs of His coming and the end of the age (Matthew 24:3). Jesus replied, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars”, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom”, “there will be famines and earthquakes in various places”, “you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me”, “many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other”, “the love of most will grow cold.” Matthew 24:6‭-‬7‭, ‬9‭-‬10‭, ‬12‭). These things are happening all around us. Jesus also mentioned that “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14 NKJV).

Our part in this task is to preach the message of the gospel to all people, all nations, all tongues and all races. No one should have an excuse. If you cannot join missionaries who travel to unreached people groups, support them with your finances and your prayers. Remember, all should hear before the Parousia.

Parousia: The second coming of Jesus Christ

Few years ago, my church had an evangelism crusade in the town I grew up in. At the crusade, the message was about life after death and the second coming of Jesus Christ. I was still a young child with very little biblical knowledge. However, I remember that the message of the night hit me so strongly that when the altar call was done, I went forward to accept Jesus. A member of the church came to pull me from the crowd and informed me that I am already a Christian so I do not need to accept Jesus. I couldn’t sleep that night, I was so sure that if Jesus returned that night, He would have left me behind. However, this strange church member denied me the opportunity of receiving Jesus that night.

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Matthew 24:44)

The second coming of Jesus Christ (Parousia) is expected by Christians all over the world. I have heard stories of people complaining about the fact that the return of Jesus has taken too long. Others have lost hope in His second coming because of the things happening in the world. Irrespective of your stance on this, know that Jesus will return someday for His church. Even if He tarries, He will surely come. At the moment, what we need to do is to be expectant all the time because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect Him. Yes, He is coming soon and He will reward each person according to what they have done (Rev. 2:22). Are you ready?

There are many people in the church who have not made a personal decisions for God. For example, children born into the church are easily taken for granted as believers. Some of these children grow up as adults with very little biblical knowledge. They are not discipled like the way new converts are discipled and everyone takes it for granted that they are born in the church. Remember, being born in the church doesn’t make you born again. For me, after I was denied the opportunity of giving my life to Christ, it took me a couple of years to finally accept Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. Imagine if I had left the church before then. Jesus is coming soon and the church of God should be made ready. None should be left out. If we don’t start talking to the children about salvation, the devil is busily cooking a distorted story to deliver to them. While we have the opportunity, we should take advantage of it and lead our children to faith.

Have you started the salvation conversation with the children around you?

Your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace

Paul in his description of the armour of the believer mentions that the believer should have their feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel peace. This alludes to the verse in Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Just like the belt and the breastplate, a fitted foot is a defensive weapon of the soldier. The soldier is not afraid to move into strange grounds because he is protected at the feet. What does this imply in relation to our walk with the Lord?

and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (Ephesians 6:15)

In the midst of this battle induced environment, the gospel is the message of peace. As believers, we should bring the good news with us wherever we go. We should be agents of peace in the midst of the battle. The gospel is also a defensive weapon against the wiles of the enemy. For example, when we are aware of the finished work of Christ and the assurance of our salvation, we are able to stand the evil accusations of the enemy. No soldier goes to battle bare footed. The roads may be full of gravel, have trenches, rough passages and even torns. The right armour for the feet will save the soldier from casualty. No soldier goes to the battle unprepared. The readiness that comes with the gospel of peace delivers us from evil trenches of the enemy.

Remember, the devil is aware of God’s word and always tries to twist it to suit his whims. No soldier goes to the battle with the wrong battle plan. The gospel sheds light on our place in Christ and what the finished work of Christ has done for us. A good balance, or a good footing on the battlefield will prevent the soldier from falling. The soldier’s shoe gives a good grasp and the gospel of peace prevents the believer from falling into the muddy lies of the enemy. Since the armour is for daily and permanent use, the believer should have the readiness of the gospel of peace fitted from dawn to dusk and always. This persistence will prevent us from falling into temptation.

The gospel of peace brings joy even in the midst of the battle. Are you wearing that shoe now?